Archive for January, 2013

Overview
This is a student competition for Public Art proposals that engage and activate the street networks, transportation modes and links to National Park Service sites throughout downtown Boston. Three proposals will be selected to receive a financial award of $500 each by a jury of artists, public art administrators and transportation experts. An exhibit of all proposals will take place late spring/early summer at BSA Space, home to the Boston Society of Architects at 290 Congress Street in Boston.
Deadline: 5PM Friday, April 5, 2013
Connect Historic Boston
Public Art
Ideas Competition
2013
What is Connect Historic Boston? Connect Historic Boston is an initiative between the National Park Service (NPS) and the City of Boston’s Transportation Department to make walking, biking, and taking the T to National Park Service sites and other destinations in downtown Boston easy and fun.
Our initiative proposes upgrades to the built environment along the streets, sidewalks, and bridges that link transit stations to park destinations; and explores new tools for wayfinding including digital applications, traditional maps, and navigational markers in the landscape such as architecture, art, sound and signage. We are building a coalition of partners that include historic sites, advocates for walking and biking, neighborhood associations, and government agencies that will help promote the Connect Historic Boston initiative as the way to get around downtown Boston.
The scope of our project includes most of downtown Boston including Faneuil Hall, the Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion on the Rose Kennedy Greenway and The Abiel Smith School on Joy Street along the Black Heritage Trail in Beacon Hill. We are also including The Charlestown Navy Yard. Key transit includes the T (specifically the North Station, Haymarket, State Street and Aquarium stations), bus connections at Haymarket, the ferry to Charlestown from Long Wharf, and bikeshare facilities. (see attached map)
The Call
We are expanding our outreach with a Public Art Ideas competition. We want to see YOUR ideas of how best to celebrate this initiative. How would you call attention to public transportation and historical sites? How do you engage and activate the streets, infrastructure, stations, waterways, sites and even transportation itself, enhancing the experience of moving through the city?
What are the opportunities to create a memorable event or intervention that celebrates city life? Is it performative, ephemeral, temporal or virtual? Can you imagine a Hubway (bikeshare) ballet? A light, sound or video installation? A ferry parade? The scope is broad and far-reaching, but whatever you conjure up it MUST relate to transportation, movement and place.
Eligibility We welcome submissions by New England (ME, MA, NH, VT, RI and CT) University and College Students (graduate and undergraduate) from all fields, particularly the visual and performing arts, landscape architecture, design and engineering. Interdisciplinary teams are highly encouraged. Only one entry per individual/team.
Submission
- One submission form per individual entrant/team (see attached)
- A 500 word max description of the project, its relationship to the initiative, the proposed site or platform and imagined execution (seasonality, duration, hour of the day, participants, etc.)
- A 24” x 36” sized board depicting the ideation, process and product. Boards must be saved to a .pdf not to exceed 8MB in total file size and submitted electronically.
Submissions must be e-mailed to: addy.smith-reiman@cityofboston.gov
Deadline: 5PM Friday, April 5, 2013
Criteria Your work will be judged by a stellar group of diverse professionals who have measurable success in the fields of art and transportation. They will be looking for fantastic and fantastical ideas that bind well with the vision of Connect Historic Boston and break away from traditional modes of place-making and event production. The submission must be well crafted, thoughtful, fun and inspiring.
Awards
Cash awards of $500 will be awarded to the top three proposals. All work will be exhibited late spring at BSA Space, home to the Boston Society of Architects at 290 Congress Street in Boston.
Competition Timeline
February 1st – Competition opens
February 16th – Project Info session* (optional)
March 2nd – Project Info session* (optional)
April 5th – DEADLINE 5 p.m. April – review panel meets May – Award announcement
June – exhibit at BSA Space
*Project Info Session
Two info sessions will be held on Saturday afternoons beginning at 1PM: February 16th and March 2nd, at BSA Space, 290 Congress Street in Boston. We will cover site history, provide maps and materials, and head out on walking tours of the project area, including the T. These sessions are optional.
Maps and supporting materials will also be made available starting February 1st at http://bostoncompletestreets.org/topics/whats-new/
Partner organizations for this competition
We are working in partnership with the Boston Transportation Department, The National Park Service, The New England Foundation for the Arts, The Community Design Resource Center, The Boston Society of Architects, The Livable Streets Alliance, Boston Bikes and the Boston Arts Commission.
The steering committee includes Gretchen Schneider, Executive Director of the Community Design Resource Center, Carolina Aragon, Adjunct Professor of Landscape Architecture at UMASS Amherst, Elysian McNiff, Program Coordinator for Public Art at NEFA and Addy Smith-Reiman, Project Manager for Connect Historic Boston.
Jury
Jackie Douglas is the Executive Director of LivableStreets, an organization promoting safe, convenient, and affordable transportation for all people in the Boston region to make our communities more connected and livable. LivableStreets challenges people to think differently and to demand a system that balances transit, walking and biking with automobiles. Her work currently focuses on rethinking bridge designs, street design to better accommodate public transit, and bicycle networks. In 2011, Jackie was awarded Advocate of the Year by the National Alliance for Biking & Walking.
Jennifer McGregor is a public art expert with substantive experience directing, implementing, and managing contemporary art projects and programs. She has directed Wave Hill’s visual arts program since 1999, curating numerous topical exhibitions that connect the public with nature, culture and site, at this 28-acre public garden and cultural center in the Bronx. In this capacity she works with emerging and mid-career artists on temporary commissioned projects. Many of these artists have or will embark on public art projects. As the first director of New York City’s Percent for Art Program from 1983-1990, she implemented the program guidelines and supervised the first sixty projects. In 1990, she founded McGregor Consulting to work nationally on commissions, exhibitions, and master plans. She was instrumental in starting the Public Art Network and together with Renee Piechocki was the first facilitator of the program. Most recently she and Ms. Piechocki advised the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy on their public art plan. Ms. McGregor has taught at Cooper Union and New York University and regularly serves on juries and panels. She graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in art.
Jim Lasko is a founder and co-artistic director of Redmoon Theater in Chicago, a civically engaged theater company. Redmoon transforms the urban landscape through ephemeral events that disrupt everyday life and provide opportunities for public engagement and community building. Past projects include an opening event for Millennium Park; Sink, Sank, Sunk, a site-specific performance that drew over 10,000 people; and the annual All Hallow’s Eve Ritual.
Dr. Maury Martin has been a family doctor in an independent practice in Somerville for thirty five years and has played saxophone with the Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society, a New Orleans style street band, since its inception a decade ago. He is also a co-founder of the HONK! festival of activist street bands in Davis Square on Columbus Day weekend, where funds for this all volunteer festival are from individuals, the small businesses of Davis Square, the Somerville Arts Council, and grants. The theme of the parade is “Reclaim the Streets for Bikes, Horns, and Feet”. A brief article on this festival can be found in the Winter 2012 issue of ArchitectureBoston.
Charles Tracy is a National Park Service landscape architect involved with organizing regional and community-based conservation and recreation initiatives in New England and New York. He is interested in the interplay between art and environment, specifically, public art as a catalyst for civic engagement in community environmental projects. His work currently focuses on the connection between public art and environmental stewardship and includes a series of artist-led environmental projects in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the New England Foundation for the Arts.

Congratulations to our 2013 Major Grant Recipients! A total of $188,088 was awarded to 22 organizations in support of humanities projects across the State of Rhode Island. Funded projects include documentary films, online archives, public forums, radio shows and exhibitions. For descriptions of the grant-funded projects, visit our site.

Talking Head: Anne Boleyn, Reformation and the Making of King James’ Bible

Serve Rhode Island

Justice Talks

Southeast New England Film, Music, and Arts (SENE)

Slatersville: America’s First Mill Village

Upcoming Events

The following events were supported by grants from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.
18th Annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading
Sunday, February 3 from 1:00pm-3:00pm at the RISD Museum
Langston Hughes’ poems, dating from the Harlem Renaissance through the 1960′s, continue to resonate today. These powerful, poignant and often amusing works are read aloud by members of the community and leaders of diverse backgrounds, including educators, corporate executives, writers, musicians and artists. For more information, visit this site.

Masters of the Craft: Gallery of Memory
Wednesday, February 6 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm at Providence City Hall Gallery
Join the City of Providence, SPIA Productions, and the Fox Point Cape Verdean Project for the opening of a photo exhibit commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of Local 1329 of the International Longshoremen’s Association in Providence. For more information, visit this site.

Pawtucket Humanities Forums
Sunday, February 10 and Sunday, February 17 at 4:30pm at Gamm Theatre
Join the Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre for their upcoming series of forums surrounding the U.S. premiere of Anne Boleyn, moderated by URI political scientist Maureen Moakley, with guest scholars. Upcoming topics include “Witch, Heretic, Revolutionary: Representations of Anne Boleyn and the Intellectual lives of Women during the Renaissance,” and “Creating a Masterpiece: James I and the Influence of the King James Bible.” For more information, visit their website.

Providence Children’s Film Festival
February 14 – 19
The Providence Children’s Film Festival kicks off its fourth year with six days of films, workshops and filmmaker presentations. The festival presents high-quality, independent and international films to the children, teenagers and families of New England. For the full calendar of events, visit their website.

For even more humanities programming in Rhode Island, follow us on Facebook.

Back by popular demand! Jim Grace, Executive Director of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston, will lead a workshop to help you with the multifaceted business of being a public artist. The day will focus on contracts, budgets, insurance, and incorporation. Sessions will be lead by a lawyer, insurance broker, a public art studio manager, and a practicing public artist. Bring your notepad and lots of questions!

Those that register for The Business of Being a Public Artist are eligible for Jim Grace’s Contracts Clinic on March 5. Public artists are invited to bring their contracts; Jim and his colleagues will provide step-by-step assistance. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

The A3 Foundation, which was established by three early employees of Facebook, has announced a second program in its ongoing efforts to foster and support emerging Asian-American artists in the media.

At the recently concluded Sundance Film Festival, the foundation announced that it will sponsor, in partnership with the Sundance Institute, an Asian-American fellow for the festival’s Screenwriters and Directors labs. Launched last year, the foundation’s A3 Fellowship program provides emerging Asian American artists in the media with opportunities to learn from more established artists.

According to TechCrunch, the founders of the A3 Foundation are Philip Fung, an engineering manager on the Facebook for Android team; Julia Lam, who left Facebook to help develop a new startup; and Franklyn Chien, who helped launch LearnSprout after leaving Facebook. Philip Fung said on the A3 Foundation blog that the organization was formed to both increase representation of Asian Americans on media screens and to help create a more accurate portrayal of Asian Americans in the media.

“When Phil was growing up, he didn’t see a lot of role models on television. He wanted to help fix that,” Julia Lam told TechCrunch. “Our feeling is that there is a lot talent out there. They just need a longer runway to help develop their skills. It’s something that we felt like we could help with.”

Call for Entries :The Galleries of the Providence
Art Club invite artists to submit their strongest two-dimensional and
three-dimensional works to the Providence Art Club All Media Juried Exhibition.
Recent works in all media are encouraged. Please visit the Cafe website (www.callforentry.org) to
apply to this exhibition.

Rules and Regulations: Entries must be recent (completed within the last four years), original
works that are for sale (no price on request). Works not properly prepared for
installation will not be installed. All two-dimensional works must be wired on
the back. Clips and loop hooks are not acceptable. Three-dimensional works
cannot be heavier than 100 lbs. The Providence Art Club reserves the right to
reject works that is deemed unstable, that differs from the submitted digital
image / and or description of work, or that is not professionally
presented.

Sales Commission: 25% for PAC members; 40% for non-members

Notification: For entry status visit the “Call For Entries” section at www.providenceartclub.org, after 12:00pm on Friday, February 22, 2013. Accepted artists will also be notified by mail. No phone calls
please.

Delivery: Accepted submissions should be delivered to the Providence Art Club, 11 Thomas Street, Providence, RI
02903 from March 4-8 between 12-4pm in the Dodge House Gallery.

Shipping: Shipping costs are the responsibility of the artist. A check for return shipping, including insurance
(please ask your carrier to determine this amount), must accompany work. If
artwork cannot be repacked in original materials, additional packaging must be
supplied by the artist. If packing materials and shipping payment are not
included, the work will not be returned.

Removal:All exhibited work is to be picked up April 8-12, 2013 from the Dodge House Gallery.

Insurance: The Providence Art Club carries a blanket policy covering fire, theft, and breakage. The insurance value
is considered 2/3 of the sale price, but no more than $250.

Photography / Publicity: The Providence Art Club reserves the right to photograph work for publicity. By
entering your work in the Providence Art Club All Media juried Exhibition, you
agree to the use of your name, likeness, certain personal information and
artwork in any publicity material developed for the exhibition.

Images: Please submit at least one digital image to the cafe website (www.callforentry.org) to apply to this exhibition. You may submit a maximum of three digital images if your work is three-dimensional and
should be viewed from multiple angles.

NEFA is hosting a series of workshops throughout New England in the coming weeks in advance of the March 18, 2013 application deadline for two grant programs:
Native Arts New England
New England Master Apprenticeship
Meet NEFA’s Native Arts staff at any one of the workshops below!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

All Native American artists or organizations interested in applying or learning more about the Native Arts New England grant program.
RSVP
Email nativearts@nefa.org at least two days in advance of the date(s) you would like to attend.
WORKSHOPS
(Workshops are free and light refreshments will be served.)
February 3, 2013 | Aquinnah Cultural Center
Aquinnah, MA | 1:00PM-4:00PM

Call for Entries : The Galleries of the Providence Art Club invite artists to submit their strongest two-dimensional and three-dimensional works to the Providence Art Club All Media Juried Exhibition. Recent works in all media are encouraged. Please visit the Cafe website (www.callforentry.org) to apply to this exhibition.

Awards: $5,000 in awards

Eligibility: Open to living artists nationwide

Calendar: February 15, 2013 : Application Deadline
February 22, 2013 : Accepted Artists listed at www.providenceartclub.org
March 1, 2013 : Bio Material Due
March 4-8, 2013 : Work received at the Gallery
March 16, 2013 : Award Winners announced online at www.providenceartclub.org
March 17, 2013 : 2:00-4:00pm, Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony, Open to the Public.
April 8-12, 2013 : Removal of Work

Rules and Regulations: Entries must be recent (completed within the last four years), original works that are for sale (no price on request). Works not properly prepared for installation will not be installed. All two-dimensional works must be wired on the back. Clips and loop hooks are not acceptable. Three-dimensional works cannot be heavier than 100 lbs. The Providence Art Club reserves the right to reject works that is deemed unstable, that differs from the submitted digital image / and or description of work, or that is not professionally presented.

Sales Commission: 25% for PAC members; 40% for non-members

Notification: For entry status visit the “Call For Entries” section at www.providenceartclub.org, after 12:00pm on Friday, February 22, 2013. Accepted artists will also be notified by mail. No phone calls please.

Delivery: Accepted submissions should be delivered to the Providence Art Club, 11 Thomas Street, Providence, RI 02903 from March 4-8 between 12-4pm in the Dodge House Gallery.

Shipping: Shipping costs are the responsibility of the artist. A check for return shipping, including insurance (please ask your carrier to determine this amount), must accompany work. If artwork cannot be repacked in original materials, additional packaging must be supplied by the artist. If packing materials and shipping payment are not included, the work will not be returned.

Removal: All exhibited work is to be picked up April 8-12, 2013 from the Dodge House Gallery.

Insurance: The Providence Art Club carries a blanket policy covering fire, theft, and breakage. The insurance value is considered 2/3 of the sale price, but no more than $250.

Photography / Publicity: The Providence Art Club reserves the right to photograph work for publicity. By entering your work in the Providence Art Club All Media juried Exhibition, you agree to the use of your name, likeness, certain personal information and artwork in any publicity material developed for the exhibition.

Images: Please submit at least one digital image to the cafe website (www.callforentry.org) to apply to this exhibition. You may submit a maximum of three digital images if your work is three-dimensional and should be viewed from multiple angles.

Friends of Ballard Park will host the 8th Annual Illuminated Garden on Thursday, February 21, Friday, February 22 and Saturday, February 23 from 6 to 9pm.

The free event features thousands of lights displayed on the trees and unique features of Ballard Park’s three acre quarry meadow. Close to 1,000 people attended last year’s tour.

Local artists, teachers with student groups, scouts and community organizations are invited to create sculptures or displays for the event. The event is an evening tour so all displays should light up in some manner – solar powered lights, battery operated, electric lights, etc. Power sources will be provided if requested but each display must have needed power cords and be ready to be plugged in. Displays must be able to endure 60 mile an hour winds and gusts of rain.

Installation may take place on Wednesday 2/20 or Thursday 2/21. The deadline to submit entries for consideration in this year’s event is Friday, February 1, 2013.

Those people interested in participating may download a “Call for Entries” form at www.ballardpark.org or call 401.619.3377 for more information.

The Arts & Cultural Alliance in collaboration with The Preservation Society of Newport County, will present “Social Networking for the Busy Artist,”
an informational seminar, Wednesday, January 30, 2013 from noon to 1 pm
at The Preservation Society of Newport County, 424 Bellevue Avenue,
Newport, RI. The workshop is free and open to practicing artists &
craftspeople in Newport County. Space is limited, and advance
registration is required. To register, e-mail Info@NewportArts.org.

Last year Jim Grace, Executive Director of the Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston, led a workshop focused on the fundamentals of contracts, copyright and negotiation. Based on your feedback, we are going deeper into reviewing specific contracts, budgets, insurance and incorporation.

Who is this workshop for? Working public artists & artists looking to build a practice in public art.

What will you learn? Become more familiar with contracts and the language of state and private commissions. Learn about insurance from an insurance broker. Get budget advice from an accountant. Hear about incorporation from an attourney specializing in intellectual property & internet law.

The Public Art Discussion Series is sponsored by NEFA’s Fund for the Arts.

The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission is seeking to
fill a new position of Senior Historian – Transportation Projects Reviewer.
RIHPHC program responsibilities include protection of Rhode Island’s many
significant historic properties through Federal Section 106 review and Rhode
Island state review and comment on public undertakings that may impact historic
resources. Professional and timely identification and evaluation of historic
properties is critical to approval of transportation projects that benefit all
of Rhode Island’s citizens and are important to the state’s economic
development.

This position will perform the following tasks:

1. Conduct and coordinate federal Section 106 review for RIDOT projects in
accordance with the Procedures of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
(36 CFR Part 800) and RIHPHC policies with the goal of reducing review timeframe
from the current 60 days to 30 days.

c) Coordinate, administer, and prepare RIHPHC comments on RIDOT Section 106
projects, including but not limited to drafting findings of effect and
participation in drafting memoranda of agreement.

d) Consult with RIDOT staff and consultants, representatives of the
Narragansett Indian Tribal Historic Preservation Office, interested parties, and
others.

e) Attend public meetings to provide information about the potential effects of
RIDOT projects to cultural properties, and to receive information from members
of the public.

f) Conduct field site visits to collect information and to monitor construction
for adherence to RIHPHC approvals. Site visits require physical stamina in
order to traverse a variety of terrain conditions.

g) Maintain written and electronic records of Section 106 review and prepare
reports.

2. Conduct and coordinate State review for RIDOT projects in accordance with the
RIHPHC Procedures for Registration and Protection of Historic Properties and
RIHPHC policies.

3. Assist in maintaining and coordinating a system of cultural property information
that is shared by RIHPHC and RIDOT, including RIHPHC survey and National
Register files, RIDOT consultant reports, archival records of recorded historic
properties, archaeological site files, computer databases, data files, and
geographic information system data.

4. Assist RIDOT in the operation and management of a repository of archaeological
artifacts.

5. Perform other related tasks as required, including performing studies and
analysis of data to identify, evaluate, and document historically significant
properties.

The RIHPHC Senior Historian – Transportation Projects Reviewer works under the
general supervision of the Executive Director acting through the RIHPHC Project
Review Coordinator. Work assignments will be received from the RIHPHC Project
Review Coordinator, and completed work will be delivered to the RIHPHC Project
Review Coordinator for approval by the Executive Director.

The RIHPHC Senior Historian – Transportation Projects Reviewer works in
collaboration with other members of the RIHPHC professional staff and with
relevant RIDOT professional staff. He or she will be expected to maintain
professional relationships with other agencies’ professional staff, public
historians, local historic preservation organizations, and Native American
Tribal representatives.

The RIHPHC Senior Historian – Transportation Projects Reviewer performs functions
mandated by the National Historic Preservation Act and must meet National Park
Service professional qualifications requirements for historian and/or historical
archaeologist, and must meet the requirements of the State job specification for
a Senior Historic Preservation Specialist. He or she should possess a Graduate
Degree in American history or a closely related field, and have previous
experience working as a historian or historical archaeologist related to
historic preservation and Section 106 review.KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS AND CAPACITIES: A working knowledge of the principles and
practices of historic preservation planning, data sources, and methods of
analysis as they relate to American History and the ability to apply such
knowledge in the performance of difficult and complex professional historic
preservation planning work; a working knowledge of the methods and procedures
required in order to carry out the relevant programs of historic preservation
planning such as: National Register of Historic Places, Section 106 project
review, and field survey; the ability to use standard technical procedures and
established methodology; the ability to identify appropriate procedures
developed by others, test them and use them under varying circumstances; the
ability to use field work, historical archives, maps, charts, aerial
photographs, and similar materials to obtain or verify information; the ability
to understand and carry out complex oral and written instructions; the ability
to establish and maintain effective working relationships with federal, state,
local, private and public agencies, organizations and individuals; the ability
to write effectively and to make oral presentations; the ability to engage in
field work activities requiring physical stamina; and related capacities and
abilities.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:Education:
Such as may have been gained through: possession of a Graduate Degree in
American History (or a closely related field); and

Experience:
Such as may have been gained through: employment as a Historic Preservation
Specialist in the field of American History or historical archaeology; or,
employment in a responsible position in a federal, state, municipal or public or
private agency or organization involving the performance of professional work in
the field of historic preservation planning related to American
History.

Or,
any combination of education and experience that shall be substantially
equivalent to the above education and experience.
In addition, the following knowledge, expertise, and experience are
desirable.

Knowledg of the history and historical development of Rhode
Island and ability to identify and describe examples of specific historical
property types.

Knowledge and experience working as a historical
archaeologist.

Experience conducting research using local records including
deed histories, historical maps, and photograph collections.

Solid understanding of federal and state historic preservation
laws, regulations, standards, and guidelines

Facility in the use of GIS technology and computer
databases.

Ability to work cooperatively and successfully with
representatives of other government agencies, property owners, developers,
Native American Tribal representatives, and the public.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES: To
perform difficult and complex professional historic preservation planning work
within the area of specialization indicated in the title of the class of
position; to be responsible for the preparation of studies, plans, National
Register of Historic Places nominations, reports, and phases of major projects;
and to do related work as required.

Portland Stage Company is proud to announce the most recent winners of the Clauder Competition, New England’s most prestigious playwriting contest. Veils, by Thomas Coash of Connecticut, receives the Grand Prize as the winning script. Two Gold Prize winners have also been selected: The Vikings of Munjoy Hill by Ian MacAllister-McDonald of Rhode Island and Lake Untersee by Joe Waechter, also of Rhode Island. State winners from each of the six New England states are also being honored.

The winners of the Clauder Competition receive both monetary and public acknowledgement. The grand prize winner, Veils, receives a cash award of $2,500 as well as a full production at Portland Stage with a professional team of director, designers and actors during the 2013-2014 season. The two gold prize winners each receive $600 cash awards. All three winning scripts will be workshopped by Portland Stage at this spring’s 24th annual Little Festival of the Unexpected, May 13-18, 2013. Little Festival of the Unexpected is a new works festival where playwrights, professional theater artists, and audiences come together to develop new plays in a supportive environment.

The Clauder Competition was created in 1981 to support New England playwrights and bring their work to the attention of the greater theatrical community. The goal of the Clauder Competition is to provide exposure, encouragement, and critical feedback to promising playwrights who typically receive little more than a return postcard for material they send to theaters and producers. A record number of over 220 unproduced full-length plays were submitted to this year’s competition. To ensure fairness and respect for each submission, each play is evaluated by at least two readers, and each playwright receives an individual letter of response including constructive comments from the readers.

The Clauder Competition identifies exciting new works by New England playwrights and ensures their successful launch through readings and productions at Portland Stage, a professional LORT theater company, which adjudicates the competition and provides a creative home for the winning playwright. Past Clauder Competition winners or finalists who have launched successful playwriting careers include Gregory Hischak, Adam Bock, Laura Harrington, Elizabeth Egloff, Bridget Carpenter, Melinda Lopez, Liz Duffy Adams, William Donnelly, and Pulitzer Prize-winners Paula Vogel and Quiara Alegria Hudes.

CLAUDER COMPETITION WINNERS—

Grand Prize Winner—Veils, by Thomas Coash (New Haven, CT)

When Intisar, a veiled African-American Muslim student, enrolls for a year abroad in Cairo, she thinks she will finally fit in. She is at first excited when, in an effort to bridge the gap between West and Middle East, her non-veiled Egyptian roommate, Samar, enlists her help in creating a blog debating the controversial practice of wearing veils. But when the Arab Spring intervenes, the Egyptian revolution threatens to overtake the young women and their project.

Thomas Coash is a New Haven-based playwright and director. He spent four years teaching playwriting and theater at The American University in Cairo, Egypt, providing the inspiration for Veils. Coash has worked for several theaters including Stageworks/Hudson, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Actors Theatre of Louisville. He has won numerous awards including EST’s Hammerstein Emerging Playwright Award, The Kennedy Center’s Lorraine Hansberry Award and a Jerome Fellowship at the Playwrights’ Center. His other plays include Cry Havoc and Khamaseen. The earlier one-act version of Veils was recently the winner of the Middle Eastern Playwriting Competition and produced in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Elise is a 21-year-old heavy metal singer who just wants to make music, sell magazine subscriptions, and pay her rent on time. But when her long-absent mother reappears with a scheme to blackmail a wealthy relative, all that gets tossed out the window and Elise is suddenly drawn into a dangerous plot that threatens her life, but which may also be the key to restoring her broken family.

Ian MacAllister-McDonald is a writer, director, and educator from Portland, Maine. His plays have been produced or developed by SoHo Rep, Playwrights Horizons, Moving Arts Theatre Co., The Blank Theatre, The Veritas Ensemble, Theatre Masters, American Repertory Theatre, and The Great Plains Theatre Conference, among other places. He is the recipient of The Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship, a MacDowell Colony Fellowship, and a grant from the NEA. His other plays include The Boy Who Lived Forever, Tot!, and The Sexual Life of Savages. Ian received his BA from Loyola Marymount University and his MFA in Playwriting from Brown University, where he also taught screenwriting. His first film, Some Freaks, is in development, executive produced by filmmaker/playwright Neil LaBute.

Lake Untersee, by Joe Waechter (Providence, RI)
Rocky, a troubled teenager, longs to leave his divorced parents and their dysfunctional relationships behind. Stuck between his mother, a has-been novelist, and his equally oblivious father, Rocky begins to receive love letters written in snow. With nowhere else to turn, he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to Antarctica’s Lake Untersee, where the love of his life is trapped beneath layers and layers of ancient ice.

Joe Waechter’s plays include PROFILES, Good Ol’ Boys, The Hidden People, The Strangler, and Memory Library. His work has been developed or produced at Playwrights Horizons, Ars Nova, American Repertory Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Trinity Rep., The Hangar Theatre, The Kennedy Center, and The 25¢ Opera of San Francisco. He is the recipient of two Jerome Fellowships at the Playwrights’ Center, a Lucille Lortel Fellowship, the Weston Award, and a Jerome Emerging Artist Residency. Joe also creates work for other mediums, including The Hoot Owl, an opera for headphones, and Antarctica, an immersive virtual reality piece. In 2010, he founded The Awesome Collective, an interdisciplinary performance collective based in Providence, RI. MFA in Playwriting, Brown University.

STATE WINNERS—

CONNECTICUT

Veils, by Thomas Coash—New Haven, CT

MAINE

One Blue Tarp, by Travis G. Baker—Orono, ME

MASSACHUSETTS

Comes A Faery, by James McLindon—Northampton, MA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

The Nap, by Marisa Smith—Hanover, NH

RHODE ISLAND

The Vikings of Munjoy Hill, by Ian MacAllister-McDonald—Providence, RI, and
Lake Untersee, by Joe Waechter—Providence, RI

VERMONT

Our Enemy’s Cup, by Michael Nethercott—Guilford, VT

Portland Stage Company

Portland Stage Company is Maine’s premier professional theater, serving an annual audience of 50,000 people through mainstage performances and educational programs with a balance of classics and new works for the stage. Founded in 1974 as the Profile Theater, Portland Stage Company’s mission is to entertain, educate and engage its audiences by producing a wide range of artistic works and programs that explore basic human issues and concerns relevant to the communities served by the theater. The theater’s guiding principle is to promote creativity and dialogue among artists, staff, board, and audience.

The audience Portland Stage Company serves is as diverse as the population of New England, and the theater seeks to stimulate the imaginations of our community with equally diverse programming. Portland Stage offers encouragement and inspiration to New England’s writers by hosting the Clauder Competition and Little Festival of the Unexpected. Together, these programs bring to Portland some of the freshest voices writing for the American theater.

Barrington Public Library, East Providence Public Library and Providence Community Library are collaborating to create New England’s first Human Library! This exciting project will take place Sunday, March 3rd from 1-5pm (snow date March 10th) at Rochambeau Library. The Human Library Rhode Island is a living, breathing library where humans are the books and the stories are their lives. Just as memoir and autobiographies teach us to see the humanity in people different from us, the human books tell of their own lived experience, breaking down assumptions and ignorance with every word.

Based on a Danish project, now with worldwide participation, the Human Library’s aim is to allow people to interact with other members of their community with whom they might not otherwise have contact, or who they might have preconceptions about but want to understand. This is a great opportunity to bring Rhode Islanders together in the public library for an afternoon of conversation, discovery, and growth.

For more information, visit humanlibraryrhodeisland.com; send an email to:
humanlibraryri@provcomlib.org, or read PCL’s next newsletter. Funding generously provided
by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, and the Friends groups of the three library
systems.

This will be our third year of the Fine Arts at the RIBA (Rhode Island Builder’s Association) Home Show, and are we excited! Did you know that last year we had over 20,000 attendees walked through the doors of the Providence Convention Center in only 4 days time! THAT’S A LOT OF EXPOSURE!!

So we invite all artists who create anything that would be considered decorative art for the home to send in your applications for our 2013 RIBA Home Show. This is a juried show as we only have 50 available booths for Fine Artists.

WE OFFER OUR EXHIBITING ARTISTS A GREAT DEAL!

We offer 10×10 BOOTH SPACE to artists for a 30% commission fee to be paid to the RIBA Home Show from any sales made during the Home Show. There is a minimum payment of $125, payable upon acceptance into the show. NOTE: The $125 is NOT in addition to 30%, it is the minimum payment for the booth. It simply means once you have sold more than $417.00 of your art at the Home Show, only then will you begin paying additional money beyond the $125.00, which is 30% of sales to the RIBA Home Show. There is a maximum that you will pay us along with the minimum. You won’t pay us any more than $1,700, which means that you would need to sell $5,667 in order to hit that amount.

By the way, these booths sell to the other exhibitors for $1700.00….. The RIBA Home Show gives us artists an exceptional deal!

All Booths Include:

* 6 foot table

* 2 chairs

* Sales receipts provided by RIBA

* Tons of advertising, including television, radio, Newspapers…

HOW DO I APPLY ?

Simple. Send us at least 6 images of your work along with the following information:

Name, Address, Phone, and Website (if applicable)

For more information or to send in your application for the Fine Arts area, please call or write to:

CITY OF PORTSMOUTH, NH
RFP 21-13
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR ART FOR PORTSMOUTH, NH MIDDLE SCHOOL

Sealed Proposals, plainly marked “RFP 21-13, Art for Portsmouth Middle School” on the outside of the mailing envelope, addressed to the Finance/Purchasing Department, City Hall, 1 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801 will be accepted until 12:00 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013.
In accordance with the City’s Percent for Art Ordinance, the City of Portsmouth is requesting proposals from qualified artists for art for the newly renovated Portsmouth Middle School.
Request for Proposal forms as well as floor plans, renderings and elevations for the Middle School project may be obtained by visiting the Finance/Purchasing Department section of the City of Portsmouth website at http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/finance/purchasing.htm under the RFP 21-13 project listing. Addenda to this proposal, if any, including written answers to questions, will be posted on the City of Portsmouth website under the project heading.
There will be an optional on-site information meeting and tour for artists from noon – 2:00 pm on January 9, 2013. The meeting will include a Q&A opportunity with the architect and members of the Middle School Percent for Art Selection Committee.
The City of Portsmouth reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive technical or legal deficiencies, and to accept any proposal that it may deem to be in the best interest of the City.
Requests for additional information should be directed to Art-Speak, the City Cultural Commission at (603) 610-7222 or by e-mail atadmin@Art-Speak.org.
If you have administrative questions please contact the Finance/Purchasing Department at the following number: (603) 610-7227.

CITY OF PORTSMOUTH, NH
RFP 21-13
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR ART FOR PORTSMOUTH, NH MIDDLE SCHOOL

Sealed Proposals, plainly marked “RFP 21-13, Art for Portsmouth Middle School” on the outside of the mailing envelope, addressed to the Finance/Purchasing Department, City Hall, 1 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801 will be accepted until 12:00 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013.

There will be an optional on-site information meeting and tour for artists from noon – 2:00 pm on January 9, 2013. The meeting will include a Q&A opportunity with the architect and members of the Middle School Percent for Art Selection Committee.
Addenda to this proposal, if any, including written answers to questions, will be posted on the City of Portsmouth website http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/finance/purchasing.htm under the project heading RFP 21-13. Floor plans, renderings and elevations for the Middle School project may also be obtained using this link under the “Additional Instructions” column for RFP 21-13.
PROJECT BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
The City of Portsmouth is a historic New Hampshire port city settled in 1623. It is a compact community (16 square miles) of 21,000 residents situated directly off of Interstate 95 on the Maine / NH border. The city’s scenic location on the Piscataqua River and its rich maritime and architectural history make it a popular tourist destination. There are numerous cultural organizations, historic sites, and other destinations that draw a significant amount of visitors to this part of the seacoast.

In 2006, in an effort to enhance the cultural assets of the community, the City Council adopted a Percent for Art Ordinance. The regulation requires that one (1%) percent of the bid price or negotiated contract price for the construction of all new municipal buildings or for the renovation of existing municipal buildings, in which the bid price or negotiated price shall be in excess of Two Million ($2,000,000.00) Dollars (expressed in terms of actual construction costs exclusive of design and engineering fees), shall be contributed to the Public Art Trust for the purpose of funding public art.

Greetings, Dance Community!
Many of you know me personally, and some of you I have not yet met. I hope this message finds all of you well in the New Year.
Yesterday, I was speaking with a friend about RI Dance Alliance, and I used this metaphor to describe my personal understanding of the organization’s purpose:
DA is a house that was built 27 years ago by people who wanted to bring our community together to promote dance issues in our state. Since then, lots of folks have moved in and moved out. Some people just crashed on the couch for a little while, and others have taken up running the kitchen. Some have helped patch the roof and the walls. When you decide to stop by, or move in, you can find a role in this house that works for you.

Bottom line: everyone is welcome and we’d love to see some old friends back again! Please, be a part of the community you want to have.

I joined DA in 2004, after graduating from the dance program at Rhode Island College. Since then, DA has provided many great opportunities for me, including professional development, networking, friendships, and opportunities to produce, teach, perform, and choreograph.
We do a lot with this organization, especially considering the small number of individuals who actually contribute to the housework. If you think that this is an exclusive club that won’t have any interest in the way you want to contribute, I urge you to think again. DA is here for you do whatever needs to be done to keep a vibrant dance community in RI. Promote your project. Imagine something new. Connect with others. Support great programs. Expand the experiences of your students. Take a workshop for yourself.
Currently, we are in the process of nominating new directors and board members, who will carry out the vision of DA over the next 2 years. If you would like to see Dance Alliance go in a particular direction, or you know someone who has a lot to offer, I strongly urge you to contact our current president, Tovah Bodner Muro, for more information about the nomination process. president@ridancealliance.org
Also, whether you are a paying member or not, I hope you will follow us on Facebook so that you can see how much information and activity is really out there. https://www.facebook.com/RIDanceAlliance

I hope to see you at our next membership meeting, March 9 at Studio One in Lincoln RI. The meeting is at 1pm, followed by two great workshops in Salsa and Swing. All are welcome.
Please visit our website for more information: http://www.ridancealliance.org/next_workshop.html
Also, I hope you will join us for some part of our upcoming Modern Movement Festival, April 26-28 in Downtown Providence. Sponsorships are available. Please contact me for more information.http://www.ridancealliance.org/modern_movement_festival.html
Warm regards,
Nikki
ps–I have disabled all links in this message in hopes of avoiding as many spamblockers as possible. Please copy and paste the URLs into your browser to visit the links!

. . in THEATER, PLAYWRITING, DANCE
PERFORMANCE, and CHOREOGRAPHY
The Princess Grace Foundation-USA
(PGF-USA) announces the availability of applications for the 2013 Princess Grace
Awards in Theater, Playwriting, Dance Performance, Choreography. Film
applications will be available mid-February. Founded in 1982, in memory of
Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco, the Foundation identifies and assists emerging
artists in theater, dance and film and has awarded nearly $10 million to more
than 600 individuals nationwide. Guidelines and applications are available at www.pgfusa.org.

Executive Director Toby Boshak
remarks, “Applications received by PGF-USA represent some of the greatest talent
this country has to offer. Our Award-winning artists are at the forefront of
changing the dynamic landscape of the arts in the U.S.”

Theater Awards
are offered via scholarships, apprenticeships and fellowships. Grants are
awarded based on the quality of the emerging artist’s past work, his/her
potential for future excellence, and the impact the collaboration between the
nominating organization and the artist will have on the individual’s artistic
growth. The Playwriting Award includes a residency at New Dramatists, Inc. and
opportunity for the winning play to be licensed and published by Samuel French,
Inc. POSTMARK DEADLINE: April 1, 2013

Dance Performance Awards are
offered via scholarships and fellowships. Awards are based on the applicant’s
artistic merit, significance of the Award to current artistic development, and
the potential for future excellence and impact on the field. Choreography Awards
offer emerging choreographers the opportunity to create a new work with
organizations with which they have little experience. POSTMARK DEADLINE: APRIL
30, 2013

Film Scholarships, awarded to undergraduate and graduate
students, are by invitation-only and will be available by mid-February. Approved
university, college and school film programs are invited to submit applicants
via their Department Chairs or Deans. Film scholarships provide funding toward
the filmmaker’s thesis project. A complete list of accepted schools is in the
FAQ of Grants Program at www.pgfusa.org. POSTMARK DEADLINE: JUNE 1,
2013

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident
status at the time of application. Additionally, all applicants (except
playwriting) must be nominated by a non-profit organization (school or company)
with which they will be affiliated during the grant period (September 2013 -
August 2014.) Please visit www.pgfusa.org for
applications/information.